As she lay in the hospital bed, with one leg amputated, Arunima Sinha took a vow that many would think impossible. Her goal, from that day onwards, was not just to become adept at walking with a prosthetic leg but scale the highest point in the world–Mount Everest.
It was a feat–which many would consider impossible–that not only brought back her self confidence but made her an inspiration for everyone back home. Even before the horrible accident which left her an amputee, Sinha was a force to reckon with.
As a national level volleyball player, she already was in possession of an indomitable spirit. When a few robbers pushed her out of a moving train in 2011, resulting in her getting seriously injured, she decided that she would not cower down but fight back. “I was an amputee now, and people were looking at me with pity in their eyes. I decided then and there that I would do something to prove myself. And mountaineering was the only option. It was the only option where there were no chances of saying sorry. If you committed a mistake, life would be the one saying sorry to you,” she says.
As per Arunima’s words, her brother and coach inspired her all the time. As per the reporters, Arumina said, “My life from the railway track to Mount Everest has been one of struggle. Bachendri Pal and Tata Steel believed in me at a time when I couldn’t even walk so I’m very grateful to them,”
On the day she attempted to top the Mount Everest, she and her sherpa were the first to leave the camp. But as time went by, they were overtaken by many.
Daylight too left them behind. When she and her sherpa were quite near the summit, her sherpa presented her with some bad news. Their oxygen levels were fast depleting, and they had to come back the next day for another attempt.
“I felt really bad at that time but I knew I couldn’t go back. I told the sherpa I wouldn’t, and even tried reasoning with him. When he refused to listen to me, I told him, ‘Fine, if you want to come then come. Otherwise, I’ll go on my own.’ The moment I said those words, and placed a foot ahead, I found that my sherpa was right behind me. After that, he never left my side. Two hours later, we were at the peak,” says Sinha.
She still can’t fully explain that feeling, of spending those few six to seven minutes on the summit. “I felt like throwing my arms in the air and screaming,” she says. “I wanted to tell everyone that I’m on top of the world, especially to those people who thought a woman and an amputee couldn’t do it. I took off my mask and screamed, and my sherpa just stared at me.”
It was here where she also had an epiphany of sorts. She thanked those who made fun
of her and called her crazy. “I used to feel bad when people called me crazy, when I was on my hospital bed and planning to climb the Everest. But now when people call me crazy about my goals, I feel happy. Now I understand, if people say you are crazy about your goal that means your goal is very close.”
Arunima Sinha has been featured as one of the ‘People of the Year’ in the 27th edition (2016) of Limca Book of Records.
Ref : India Today
